The sound of the door opening had him jerking to his feet.
“And he said what?” she asked. “Oh my God, Amber, why didn’t you say yes?”
He tensed at the sound of his woman’s name. Leaning against the door frame he watched his sister drop her bag onto the floor. She was slowly moving out and in with Julian. He helped when he could.
“You’ve got to go out with him even if it goes nowhere.”
Silence fell on the house. Heather glanced up and finally saw him looking at her. His sister let out a sigh. “I’ve got to go. We’ll talk some other time.” Silence again. “No, my shit-head brother is staring at me. He needs to get a job. Yeah, okay, bye.”
Heather folded her arms, glaring at him.
“Who was on the phone?” he asked.
“You know the answer.”
“So, Amber has a hot date?”
“Yeah, well, she’s thinking about it.” Heather walked past him to go straight toward her kitchen.
“Who with?” he asked, following her.
“A guy from work. Why are you so interested?” She filled the kettle, keeping her back to him.
“No reason. She’s your friend, and I’m trying to be supportive.” Jealousy coursed through him. Amber was his woman. No other man should be allowed to touch her.
“It will be good for her. I’ve never actually seen her with a guy. She’s not even been on a date. This should be good for her.”
Heather turned to him, smiling. “How are you?” she asked.
“I’m good.” He was pissed off. Finding out Amber had a date had really made him angry.
“Any luck on the job front?”
“No. I’ll find what I’m looking for soon enough.”
“Good. You shouldn’t be sitting around here waiting for stuff to happen. Julian and I are going to Wade’s tonight. Do you want to come along?”
He knew his sister was trying to build a relationship with him. At that moment, he couldn’t care about her effort. His thoughts were filled with Amber and her proposed date with a guy from work.
“No, I’m going to stay around here. I’ve not got anything planned at all.”
“All right. I’m going to grab some more stuff. Are you still good paying the rent, or do you want me to pay it?” Heather asked.
“I’m good.” They stared at each other. “I’m going to go for a walk. I’ll see you soon.”
She smiled, and he turned to leave.
“Love you,” she said, making him pause.
“I love you, too.”
He left then with a smile on his face.
Checking the time he saw it was after lunchtime. He went to the nearest café he could find and ordered himself some food and a coffee.
His thoughts were all over the place. Amber had a date. He didn’t like it. Why would she accept a date after the weekend they’d shared together? None of it made any sense. He stayed in the café for a long time. The waitress kept smiling at him. Elijah ignored her and only wished to know the answers to his questions.
When it was about to close, Elijah paid his bill and left. He couldn’t handle not knowing the answers.
Before he could turn around he hailed a cab and headed toward her apartment.
It was insane the way he was feeling. He’d never been jealous of anyone, and yet in the last few months of living in Heather’s home, he’d grown jealous of both his sister and the guy who’d asked Amber out on a date.
He arrived at Amber’s apartment a little after five. Elijah knocked to discover no answer. Biting his lip to contain his anger, he sat down by the door and waited.
The time passed slowly, and his heart broke with every minute that passed. At a little after six, the elevator pinged and suddenly Amber was walking toward him. Her head was lowered, and she hadn’t spotted him. Elijah stayed on his butt, waiting to see what would happen.
Her head lifted, and she paused.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. Her steps turned slow.
“I needed to come and see you.”
He stood back up waiting for her. She grabbed the keys from her bag as she approached.
“I didn’t think I’d see you today,” she said, slotting the key in the lock.
“It has been a pretty strange day.”
She nodded, opening the door.
“I heard you got asked on a hot date.”
Amber tripped over her own feet. He caught her before she hit the floor. Elijah went hard at the scent of her subtle perfume and the feel of her warm curves flush against his.
“I guess that’s true then.”
She pulled out of his arms, pressing her hand down her front. “I don’t know where you heard it, but yes, I have a date.”
“Why?” he asked, doing everything he could not to break down.
His woman looked away from him.
“Don’t do this,” she said.
“Do what?”
Her arms were thrown in the air. “This. Stop acting like the jealous boyfriend. You’ve never been jealous before, and I don’t see a reason for you to start now. This is not the kind of guy you are, so stop it.”
Elijah gazed at her. He saw the anger and the upset flit across her face so fast, he almost missed it, and he suddenly realized the pain he’d caused her over the years. They’d both walked away at some point, but he’d always been the first to start it.
“I don’t want you to go on this date, Amber. You’re mine.”
She dropped down, grabbed a glass vase and launched it at him. He moved out of the way before the glass could hit him. “Would you stop saying that?” She screamed the words at him. The glass smashed on the floor. “I’m not your woman, Elijah. If I was your woman you wouldn’t be treating me like this. You wouldn’t be walking away from me at every turn. You wouldn’t be meeting blonde women at BDSM clubs hoping to get a better, thinner, prettier submissive.” She slammed her palm against her chest. Her face was red with her anger. “You wouldn’t be treating me like your f**king whore.”
Her words made him gasp. “Don’t you ever talk about yourself like that.”
“Why not? You use me when you see the need, and when you grow tired you f**king leave me. I’m nothing but a glorified whore who does what she’s told.”
Elijah saw the error of his ways. He’d scarred her in the most painful of ways.
“I never meant to hurt you. I love you, Amber.” The words left his lips, and another vase was thrown at him. He shouldn’t have told her the truth.